BUTTER MAKING PROBLEM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 600, 6 September 1913, Page 7

BUTTER MAKING PROBLEM.

HAND v. MACHINE MILKING,

Writing to the Horowhenua Chronicle, Mr James Prouse, chairman of the Levin Dairy Company, makes a spirited reply to statements that have been made in the prtss in which it was contended that butter makers are un able to manufacturefkst quality butter nowadays because o£ the extended use of milking- machines. Mr Prouse quotes at length the opinions of exporters and others who handle large quantities of New Zealand butter, who expressed themselves as being highly pleased with the quality of the produce. In fact, many of the best brands cf the local article were spoken of as being superior to the Danish make. With regard to prices. Mr Prouse makes the following comment: —"At out last month's meeting of directors we were, waited upon by a representative of a British house seeking business. 1 said to him: Our butter is better than the Danish article, and what we want to know is why the reason of the difference in price! lam certain it is not because of the quality.' He did not deny it, but perhaps a couple «f short statements may slifc! a little light upon the subject. I read the other day that 'it would take 300 cows to the acre to produce all the butter that came from Devonshire.' 1 believe also that for two years the bulk of our butter went to Normanby. Now, Normanby will sell up to Is (id—anywhere from 25 to 60 per cent, advance upon what we are paid in London. Perhaps these Normanby people eat our stuff and send their own to London. Anyway, the report to us was that our butter was splendid stuff. Does not the evidence I have adduced clearly prove that the quality of our butter has not suffered, and batter butter is made now than we have ever made—and this also applies to a large number of other factories."

I With reference to milking machines, the writer goes on to say :—"I wish to deal* with one more point —namely, hand milking v. power milking. Power, scientifically applied to the milking question, 13 what we are looking for, and we have no time to waste upon listening to any croker who whines, 'lt can't be done,' or 'Not bo well done,' or something just as delusive. It can be done all right but it takes better management; different methods altogether; the setting up of quite a new system. The old-time cow-spanker and his old-time ways are fast hurrying to extinction. Let him pass' Queen Cow is coming to her own as one of man's best friends and companions, and the milking machines are the friends of both. The machines have rorne to stay, and they are welcome: but the machines have rights, and the first right of th« machines is to be kept clean and in proper order; then they will do their work efficiently; and if they are not kept clean, the responsibility lies with the personality behind the machine, and it is the personnel that should be educated up to their duties. ■ "I have installed a five-cow plant, but that is only one item: a provision has to be made for hot and cold water, and plenty of cold water, too. We have now used this plant for two years, and 1 always use the machine milk'when I can get it, as it is best. And I am quite satisfied as to the place of the milking machine, but I have had to reconstruct some of my ideas, and I have buried some useless notions, for the machines have come to stay. I believe there are some who do not do their duty by their machines and keep them clean. There is only one sure treatment for this complaint: an inspector to diagnose it and a magistrate to prescribe for it; make the owner clean, and no one need worry about the machines."